First lady Michelle Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 6, 2014, with singers, from second from left, Melissa Etheridge, Janelle Monáe, and Patti LaBelle, during a workshop for students as part of the ?In Performance at the White House? series, celebrating female artists as the "foremothers? of American music. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) | ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Soul-singers spanning generations wowed the White House on Thursday as Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle and Janelle Monae warmed up the place for a “women of soul” concert showcasing musical legends and up-and-coming female artists.

At a morning workshop for high school and college students, first lady Michelle Obama called soul “the kind of music that makes you move, no matter who you are or where you come from.”

“Sometimes it makes your hips move,” she said. “Sometimes it makes you rock your head. Sometimes it helps you just kick back and relax and soak it in. But no matter what form it comes in, you know this music always comes straight from the heart.”